Nine Ancient Rulers Whose Tombs Remain Undiscovered, From Alexander the Great to Alaric
Despite thorough archaeological efforts, the burial sites of nine ancient rulers remain a mystery. Alexander the Great, who ruled Macedonia starting in 336 BC, was interred in a golden sarcophagus at the Soma in Alexandria; later, Ptolemy II and Ptolemy IV relocated his remains. Notable visitors to his tomb included Julius Caesar and Emperor Caracalla. Researcher Andrew Chugg suggests that his remains might be located beneath Venice's Basilica of St. Mark. Mark Antony and Cleopatra are thought to be buried near her palace in Alexandria, with Kathleen Martínez revealing discoveries at Taposiris Magna in 2022. Attila the Hun was laid to rest in a triple coffin, while Genghis Khan is believed to be on Burkhan Khaldun, and Nefertiti may be hidden behind Tutankhamun's tomb. Alfred the Great rests at Winchester Cathedral.
Key facts
- Alexander the Great became king of Macedonia in 336 BC at age 20 and died at 33; his body was placed in the Soma in Alexandria by Ptolemy IV.
- Julius Caesar visited Alexander's tomb in 48 BC; Octavian allegedly broke off part of the nose while examining the body.
- Mark Antony and Cleopatra were defeated at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC; Kathleen Martínez announced a 4,300-foot tunnel at Taposiris Magna in 2022.
- Attila the Hun, king from 434 to 453, died after his wedding to Ildico; Jordanes wrote in 551 AD that he was buried in coffins of gold, silver, and iron.
- Genghis Khan died in 1227; his tomb is believed to be on Burkhan Khaldun, a UNESCO World Heritage site protected by law.
- Nefertiti was the wife of Akhenaten (ruled c. 1353-1336 BC); Nicholas Reeves proposed in 2015 that her burial is behind Tutankhamen's tomb.
- Alfred the Great, king of Wessex from 871 to 899, was buried at Winchester Cathedral and later Hyde Abbey; a pelvic bone fragment was carbon-dated to 895-1017 AD.
- Alaric the Visigoth sacked Rome in 410 and died at Cosentia; Jordanes wrote that the Busento River was diverted to bury him with treasures.
Entities
Artists
- Alexander the Great
- Cleopatra
- Mark Antony
- Attila the Hun
- Genghis Khan
- Nefertiti
- Akhenaten
- Tutankhamen
- Boudica
- Alfred the Great
- Imhotep
- Alaric the Visigoth
- Ptolemy Soter
- Ptolemy II
- Ptolemy IV
- Julius Caesar
- Octavian
- Caracalla
- Libanius
- Andrew Chugg
- Kathleen Martínez
- Ildico
- Jordanes
- Marco Polo
- Möngke Khan
- Albert Lin
- Nicholas Reeves
- Prasutagus
- Suetonius Paulinus
- Tacitus
- Cassius Dio
- Edward the Elder
- Æthelweard
- John Mellor
- Walter Emery
- Djoser
- Sekhemkhet
- Dumas
- Philip II
- Richard Hingley
- Honorius
Institutions
- Ptolemaic Dynasty
- British Museum
- National Palace Museum
- Neues Museum
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Egyptian Museum
- University of California, San Diego
- University of Oxford
- Durham University
- London University
- Hyde900
- UNESCO
- St. Bartholomew's Church
- Winchester Cathedral
- Hyde Abbey
- Basilica of St. Mark
Locations
- Macedonia
- Egypt
- Greece
- India
- Memphis
- Alexandria
- Venice
- Italy
- Aigai
- Vergina
- Taposiris Magna
- Hungarian Plain
- Tisza River
- Burkhan Khaldun
- Mongolia
- Adriatic Sea
- China
- Pacific coast
- Amarna
- Thebes
- Valley of the Kings
- East Anglia
- Camulodunum
- Colchester
- Verulamium
- St. Albans
- Londinium
- London
- Fenny Stratford
- Watling Street
- King's Cross Station
- Wessex
- England
- Winchester
- Hyde
- Ṣaqqārah
- North Ṣaqqārah
- Heliopolis
- Lower Egypt
- Cosentia
- Cosenza
- Calabria
- Busento River
- Rome
- Roman Empire
- Gaul
- Balkan
- Great Hungarian Plain